Max Scherzer puts an end to all trade speculation with one comment

The defending World Series champion Texas Rangers have had a difficult season to date but have been putting things together recently. They are now just four games under the .500 mark and have won five games in a row, and while they remain seven games out in the Wild Card race, they have come to within 5.5 games of the Seattle Mariners in the AL West.

If Texas takes another nosedive, we could potentially see them sell off certain pieces at the trade deadline. Max Scherzer is a player on an expiring contract, and Ken Rosenthal predicted in The Athletic that the three-time Cy Young could potentially be somebody the Rangers look to move.

However, all that speculation came to an end on Wednesday afternoon when Scherzer appeared on Foul Territory. A.J. Pierzynski asked Scherzer if he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause again and be dealt for a third time in the last four years.

"Yeah, I'm not going to do that, but I just don't think I even have to think about that," Scherzer said. "We're going to play better baseball and it's going to be a moot point to even talk about. I think we're going to win here."

Max Scherzer shuts down Texas Rangers trade speculation

Any trade speculation surrounding Scherzer has at least for now been tabled. It is important to remember that Scherzer has a no-trade clause that he was willing to waive to leave the New York Mets and join the Rangers last summer. However, it looks as though Scherzer will not be waiving that clause, even if the Rangers end up selling.

Of course, this is understandable. Scherzer has been traded twice in the last three seasons. Being traded three times in four seasons would certainly cause a little extra stress, and it's clear Scherzer doesn't even want to entertain that idea. And if the Rangers keep playing better, then the point will be moot as the three-time Cy Young winner said.

The 39-year-old has missed most of the season but was recently activated from the injured list. He's made four starts in his second season with the Rangers and owns a 1-2 record along with a 3.09 ERA in those outings. He had been out after undergoing back surgery in the offseason.

The Rangers may still end up selling if things go south again, but it seems unlikely at this point that Scherzer will be part of any fire sale and that he'll ultimately remain in Texas for the rest of the season, regardless of what happens with the defending champs.